New Patriots LB Robert Spillane has officially started a heartwarming tradition centered around free agency

In 2018, Mike Vrabel and the Tennessee Titans changed Robert Spillane's life. 

The linebacker was signed to the Titans as an undrafted free agent on May 13, 2018, which also happened to be a very important holiday. 

"Yeah, what Coach Vrabel said, I got hired on in 2018 on Mother's Day and I got to call my mom in tears saying I'm going to be a professional football player," Spillane revealed to reporters at Gillette Stadium on Thursday. 

And for Vrabel, seeing this moment meant so much to him. 

"Especially for me being a young football coach or a young head coach, to be able to see a player that had earned the right. We didn't hand him anything," he explained.

Fast-forward to 2025, Spillane signed his three-year, $33 million contract with the Patriots on March 13. And that just happens to also be his mother's birthday. 

"Today it's her birthday, so I'm signing the contract on her birthday," Spillane added. "She's a very important special woman in my life, and I just want to make her proud.”

It was truly a moment he will never forget and it's officially started a very heartwarming tradition. 

Vrabel also took a moment to reflect on what stood out to him about Spillane during his first season as the Titans head coach. 

 “Well, we went out to practice, and he didn't make any mental errors. He was athletic. He was excellent in this open field tackling drill. Did the same thing the next day, did the same thing on Sunday. It got to be a joke where we would just keep throwing him in and be like, hey, let's see if somebody can make Spillane miss," Vrabel explained. "That was an example of what he earned his opportunity in the National Football League. That's no surprise the career that he's had based on how it started.”

And Eliot Wolf completely agreed. 

“Robert, just a tremendous story. Mini camp tryout with the Tennessee Titans; didn't have a free agent contract after the draft," Wolf expressed. "Made the team, practice squad, starter, and then had over 140 tackles each of the last two seasons."